Impact Resistant Sliding Glass Doors

Opening your home to the outdoors is one of the benefits of living in SW Florida. Your lanai area becomes a part of your living space with the simple slide of door panels.

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Sliding glass doors comprise a large area of most homes. While this is great for light and the appreciation of the outdoors, walls of glass can be a point of vulnerability in storms. Impact resistant sliding glass doors offer strength and security upon impact while maintaining the integrity of the open-air construction.

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You will protect your furnishings because UV Rays are kept out, and you will notice a dramatic reduction in outside noise. Both benefits are especially important for large areas of glass.

Take a look at some of the benefits of having impact resistant windows installed:
Reduce unwanted air and moisture infiltration
Reduce noise
Improve energy efficiency
Beautify the home inside and out
Eliminate fading of carpets and furniture
Enhance the architectural integrity of your home
Protect the structure from hurricanes
Protect your loved ones and valuables from intruders 24-hours a day Replacing your sliding glass doors updates your home. Impact resistant sliding glass doors protect your home effortlessly. You will be protected in the event of a storm without dealing with shutters.

One of the latest trends in sliding glass doors is a "french door" style frame, offered by PGT Industries. This is available in an optional wood-grain finish, two, three or four tracks as a by-pass, pocket or corner-meet configuration.

Replacement sliding glass doors are custom made to fit precisely in your existing opening. You won't have to worry about your room being torn apart.

Impact Resistant Sliding Glass Doors

Jim Atkins, president of Southern Home Service, http://www.southernhomeservice.com, is a Florida state-certified Building Contractor, license CBC1255867. Additional Qualifications: MySafeFlorida approved contractor- Alcoa Building Products Master Contractor-Vinyl Siding Institute Certified-Factory Certified for window and door installation and glazing-Independent distributor: PGT Windows & Doors, CGI Windows & Doors, Armor Screen Protective Systems. Jim welcomes any home remodeling questions that you may have. Learn more in the News|Center section of the web site.

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How to Adjust Your Sliding Door

If you have a sliding glass patio type door, you may need to adjust it periodically. If it is hard to open or close, or the latch doesn't work properly, you can often quickly and easily fix it yourself. Most likely you have a sliding door with wheels on the top and bottom, and a lever type lock mounted in the handle.

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If the door is hard to open and close, there are a few things to try to fix it. First of all, if your door has wheels (which they you probably do, you just may not be able to see them), there should be two little round "buttons" covering holes on the bottom part of the door. If your carefully remove these covers with a flathead screwdriver, you will see two screws inside the holes they were covering. Using a screwdriver, turn these screws and the wheels will move up or down. Do this in slight (1 turn) increments until the door operates smoothly.

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If adjusting the wheels does not work, you may simply have to lubricate the track. If you have a wooden door with a metal track, use WD40 to lightly lubricate the wheels and track. Open and close the door a few times and it should move more freely. If you have a vinyl door DO NOT USE WD40, it, or any other petroleum product, will destroy the vinyl.. In this case you will want to use a silicone lubricant, which can be purchased at most home improvement stores in spray or gel.

If neither of these methods worked, you may need to contact a professional for adjustment or replacement. The door may be old and it has warped, or it may have been installed incorrectly in the first place.

If your door does not latch correctly or securely, try this method. On the inside portion of the sliding door, you will see the hook part of the latch, and just above or below that will be a small screw. By turning this screw, you can adjust how far in or out the hook goes. Try adjusting this, and observe the hook and latch to see if it is hitting the back side of the jamb, or is not extending out far enough to hook the latch.

If that adjustment doesn't work, you may have to adjust the position of the catch latch. This is found on the inside of the jamb and looks like a small square "eye" latch. There are screws holding this in place, and by slightly loosening the screws and adjusting the position up or down, you can place the latch to where the hook will connect with it.

If neither of these adjustments fix the problem, contact a professional door installer or the manufacturer.

How to Adjust Your Sliding Door

Dave

[http://www.handymanswers.com]

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Interior Sliding Glass Doors For Modern Design and Functionality

A crafty and stylish alternative to traditional swinging doors are interior sliding doors. This style of door can accommodate various interior design styles and put a modern twist on your décor. Space saving and functional interior sliding doors come in a wide variety of textures and designs.

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Glass interior sliding doors are probably the most popular style of sliding door. Commonly used in offices as they open up a small space and make it feel productive and professional and also offer a good source of light to less exposed areas providing plenty of brightness in your workspace. Wooden interior sliding doors are popular in urban spaces such as lofts as they give you a comfortable, country feel and a tremendous amount of style and character that no other material can provide.

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Whatever style of door you choose keep in mind that it is not uncommon these days for consumers to install these doors themselves. Professional interior sliding door installation is not always included in the sale price so be sure to confirm when purchasing if installation is included. If not, interior sliding door hardware usually only consists of a few pieces that anyone with basic construction knowledge can do themselves. Take on the task with a friend or hire someone for a minimal fee to help you out.

In the home, interior sliding doors have always been popular for access to patios or backyards. Now interior sliding doors are commonly used as bathroom, bedroom and kitchen doors, to name a few of the alternatives to the traditional swinging door. Sliding doors are perfect for small spaces such as apartments or condos as they don't take up your precious space or interfere with foot traffic when they are open. It's simple yet effective design aspects such as this that are making interior sliding doors a commonplace in contemporary homes and offices. Do some research online or visit an interior sliding door dealer to find the best design solution for you.

Interior Sliding Glass Doors For Modern Design and Functionality

Specialty Doors offers the finest in interior glass doors and sliding doors to add functionality and a unique modern look to any home or office.

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The Easy Way to Build a Sliding Barn Door

o Start by laying out your frame components on a flat surface. Put the 2 side pieces and top and bottom pieces together and put one screw in each of the 4 corners.

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o Next, measure diagonally across the door from corner to corner in each direction to square up the door. If you have 2 tape measures to use at the same time (preferable) it should look like an X across the door. Make sure each measurement is identical. If not, make adjustments as necessary. Once your door is squared up, put a 2nd screw in each corner.

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o Now you're ready for the horizontal braces. You can use your own wood 2 x 4's, or for a stronger door you can use metal girts that can be ordered with your kit. Measure down both sides of the door frame, starting from the top, and make a pencil mark every 2 feet. Slide the ends of each brace into the side rails at your marks. At this point you may want to measure your door corners again to check that it's still square. Then put 2 screws through the door frame and into the brace at each location.

o Drill 2 holes down through the top rail of the frame, 12" from each end of the rail. Attach your trolleys at each hole. Be sure you order trolleys with the pendant offset bolt system that allows up & down and side-to-side adjustments. You will be glad you did later. Bolt the trolleys to the top of the door.

o At this point you can attach the door covering of your choice; either wood or metal. Screw the door covering to the door frame and the horizontal braces. You can also attach the covering after you hang the door. That way you have a lighter door during the hanging procedure.

o If you don't already have a door track installed, now is the time to do it. Use a level to make sure the track is hung perfectly level. Be sure to measure your door height plus the height of the trolley to determine how high to mount the track. Once the track is installed slide the wheels of both trolleys into the end of the track. Put the caps on the ends of the track. If you bought the adjustable pendant trolley you'll have the ability to finely adjust the door position. Once you have the door adjusted the way you want it, tighten down the nut on the trolley bolt and install the small screw that keeps the nut from backing out. You're done!

The Easy Way to Build a Sliding Barn Door

For more information on Sliding Barn Door Kits check out American Barn Supply.

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Replacing Your Sliding Glass Door Rollers

If the sliding glass doors in your home are more than 10 years old, you might notice that they are becoming harder to slide open. This problem is even more common on aluminum frame dual pane doors. The reason is because the doors are heavier due to the dual pane glass, but many of the aluminum units did not use stainless steel rollers. So, in many cases, the rollers get rusty from moisture and they start to bind.

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In order to replace the rollers, you have to remove the sliding panel from the opening. In most instances, the fixed panel must be removed in order for the sliding panel to come out. There is a simple way to determine whether or not your fixed panel has to come out as well. If the slider is on the inside track and the fixed panel is on the outside track, you have to remove both panels, because the slider will only come out from the outside. There is a lip on the bottom of the track inside your house. That lip keeps water from coming in. Unfortunately, that lip is also too high to lift the sliding panel up and over. So, you have to remove the fixed panel first, then lift and swing out the slider from outside. If you are one of the few people who have a slider on the outside track, then you can lift your slider out without removing the fixed panel.

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But, let's assume you need to remove the fixed panel first. Here is what you do: Remove your screen door if you have one. The screen door will have two rollers on the bottom. Lift one end of the door frame with one hand while using a flat screwdriver to lift the roller off the track. Do that on both sides, then take out the screen door and set it aside. Now, look for a metal piece on the bottom track that runs from the bottom corner of the fixed panel all the way across to the bottom of the side jamb that has the door lock hardware. If your door is really old that piece might be missing. If you have one, you can pry it up from the track. It is snapped in place even though it looks like it is a part of the track. Once you have that piece removed, you want to look inside the house where the fixed panel is against the wall jam. Look for screws holding the frame to the jam. They usually have one near the top and bottom corners, and one near the center. Remove these screws and put them where you won't lose them. Now, you should be able to pull the fixed panel out of the side jam. There is a very good chance that it will be stuck. If it is, grab the center rail near the bottom and lift up as hard as you can. If you feel the panel go up, pull it back down. Do this a couple of times, then try to pull it out of the side jam again. This usually loosens it enough to pull it out. If it still won't come out, you will have to put a thin screwdriver between the fixed panel frame and the side jam and pry while a helper pulls the panel away from the jam. Once you get it free of the side jam, grab the fixed panel side rail and have a helper grab the other rail. Lift the panel up into the top track and swing the bottom out of the bottom track. Remove the panel from the top track and set it aside with the screen door.

Now, you can try lifting the slider up and out, just like you did with the fixed panel. If the slider won't clear the bottom track, you need to do a couple of things. First, look to see if it's the old rollers protruding from the bottom that is preventing the door from coming out, or if the actual bottom of the door frame is hitting the track. In almost all cases, it will be the old rollers. But, if the opening is 8' wide, sometimes the wood header that runs across the opening has sagged just enough to make it tight in the center of the opening. If it's the rollers, you need to adjust them all the way up into the door. Look for a hole on the bottom side where you can put a phillips screwdriver and find the adjustment screw. Then turn that screw counterclockwise as far as you can. Do that to both sides, then try lifting out the door. If you are still getting stuck, have your helper lift one side and pull outward while you try to pry the frame and roller over the track. If you get one side out, have your helper hold that side with his or her foot to prevent it from going back in while he or she lifts the other side for you to pry free.

Once you get the slider out, almost all rollers are held in place by the same screw that holds the frame corners together. So, you need to set the panel on one side, remove the screw in the corner, flip the panel over, remove the screw on the other bottom corner. Now, you can take a rubber mallet or the wood handle of a hammer, and tap the bottom frame off the glass. This will give you access to your rollers. Take a close look at how they are inserted into the door frame. In fact, it's a good idea to only remove one roller to bring with you to match for the new ones. Then, when you get back home, you can use the roller that is still in place as a guide to installing the new ones.

Places like Home Depot, Lowes, and Ace Hardware carry about 80-90% of the rollers out there. So, you should be able to find them. However, let's say this just isn't your lucky day, and you can't find your rollers anywhere. You are going to have to have them ordered. Bring the roller to your local glass shop. If you're lucky, they will have them in stock. If not, they can order the rollers, but you won't get them for about a week. Don't panic. Just go home and tap the bottom frame back on the door panel, but leave the corner screws out. You can even leave the roller out that you removed. Lift the door back in place, install the fixed panel but don't snap the bottom piece back in, and don't install the inside screws. Then, from inside the house, lift the slider and pull it closed. You don't want to drag it if you left the roller out. It will scrape the bottom track. Just lift it enough to take the pressure off, and close and lock it.

When Your new rollers come in, take everything back out and install the new rollers. Adjust the new rollers all the way up before putting the door back in. That way, the new rollers won't interfere with you lifting it back in place. Adjust the new rollers down until the door slides good and locks. You want to be sure there is an equal gap at the top and bottom when the door is about an inch from closing into the side jam. You can adjust the rollers to make this dimension even. If you can get the job done by a professional for or including parts, it might be worth hiring someone to do it. But, in high population areas such as Los Angeles, it's common to pay 0 in labor only. Then they mark up the cost of the rollers, and you could wind up spending 0 for a job that you can do yourself for about . Next week i'm going to tell you how to repair your broken or defective window glass.

Replacing Your Sliding Glass Door Rollers

John Rocco has been installing replacement windows since 1978. To learn more, visit How To Install Windows

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